Ugly Truth About Beauty Plastics
The beauty and wellness industry has been invaded by plastics and whilst they were seen as a breakthrough on invention, it is clear they are now leaching through the water course into our seas or piling up in landfill to litter the globe for centuries. Our thoughtless use of beauty and wellness products must stop.
Head Start
Hair and facial treatments are some of the worst culprits creating pollution. Shampoo and conditioner bottles have been found washed up on the most far flung deserted beaches. Refillable bottles or shampoo bars avoid this. Micro-brasion, the inclusion of microscopic plastic beads in facial and body exfoliation products was hailed as a beauty breakthrough, but we now know the beads are washed into our seas where they are ingested by and kill marine life. Plasticised nylon exfoliation gloves last a little longer, but are also ultimately discarded and do not biodegrade. Creating our own exfoliating products with salt or seed scrubs is an environmentally friendly way to remove dead skin and create a healthy glow. Toothbrushes take decades to decompose and toothpaste tubes create unnecessary waste. Bamboo brushes are kind to the environment and coconut oil in its waxy form flavoured with peppermint oil is an excellent toothpaste. There are also eco-friendly teeth cleaning chew balls now available.
Sustainable Body Products
Shower gel bottles share the same destructive effects on the environment as shampoos. Bars of soap are just as effective as a cleanser and if they are hung in a simple cotton pouch in the shower they are just as convenient and the fabric application is mildly exfoliating.
Harvesting natural sponges and loofahs from the seabed has catastrophic effects on fragileecosystems, but synthetic versions are not biodegradable and create landfill waste. Scrubbing with a natural wood and bristle body brush that lasts for years is a more sustainable way to exfoliate and drying yourself with a standard cotton towel that has been line dried , istead of tumble-dried and remains course, is invigorating and exfoliating . Far better than the fossil fuel no-no of tumble drying towels to a greasy softness.
Legs & Feet for Nature
For shaving legs, plastic disposable razors and the piles of litter created by waxing pots and strips can all be avoided by using a traditional safety razor and recycling the blades. Natural pumice stone shaped for handling is ideal for removing dead skin from the soles and heels without creating the plastic waste caused by the variety of disposable pedicure tools cluttering our oceans.
It’s crucial we all do our part to reduce the impact of beauty and wellness product litter on our environment. At Zen Ten Spa we make all our own pure organic ingredients and store them in reusable glass jars. Our paper products are from sustainable sources and we responsibly recycle any waste. The wellbeing of the planet is just as important as the wellness of individuals and we can all act to avoid the trash that is an ugly truth of the beauty industry and plastics.